The Good Stuff
by MissyDee
Summary: A quick little one shot about Eric realizing what's good in his life ans learning to appreciate it. AH/OOC rated T for language


**Hey all, I had another situation where a got stuck in my head and begged to be shared. So here ya go. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the song. **

**The lyrics are at the bottom...**

_**xXxXx**_

I love my wife, I really and truly do, but she has a way of making me want throw her across a room that scares the shit out of me. She's so fucking frustrating sometimes. Tonight's fight was just more than I can handle. Sookie and I have _never_fought like this, the only thing I'm thankful for is Tara and Hunter are with her parents and missed the whole thing. I couldn't even tell you what set it off now, I hate that.

She told me she wishes she never laid eyes on me so I gave her an eloquent "fuck you bitch" and walked out the front door. Do I feel good about that? Hell no, I wish I hadn't called her a bitch. I wish a lot of things went differently tonight, but you can't change the past.

Now I'm driving around trying to clear my head. I know I need to go home and we need to figure everything out, but at this point I need a little powwow with José, Jack, and possibly Jim. I see the neon lights of Merlotte's, the bar I frequented in my youth and notice the parking lot is empty. Perfect.

I walk into the bar and notice the only person in the whole place is Sam, the owner. I've not seen him since the night I met Sookie over by the pool table six years ago. That was a life changer there.

"Eric," Sam smiles at me. "It's been a while. How's things?"

"Eh, you know, wife is bitchin', kids screaming. The usual," I laugh and take a seat at the end of the bar.

"What can I get for you tonight?"

"Gimme some of the good stuff, it's been a fucked up night and I could use something to take the edge off."

A serious look crosses Sam's face before his blue eyes start to look a little glassy. "You're in the wrong place my friend. You'll never find what you're lookin' for sittin' at the end of my bar."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I'm in a bar, I want a drink. Is that too much to ask? "Don't tell me you stopped stocking Grey Goose," I laugh.

"Eric," Sam shakes his head with a little smile. "Let me guess, you and the missus got in a fight?" I nod. "It's that first real good kiss, the way you're shaking so bad when you're about to propose you damn near drop the ring right outta the box. That's the good stuff, Eric. All those little things, like the way her eyes lit up when she started walking down the aisle toward _you._How she ruined your mother's recipe for your favorite meal and you never once told her it could never be the same. It's how that woman makes your heart beat right out of your chest..."

As he continues to tell me what "The Good Stuff" is my mind starts to wander back to those times...

_"Fuck," I hit my steering wheel and dropped my head back. "I should've kissed her." _

_I'd let Sookie go, it was our first real date and when I dropped her off I walked her to her door and let her go into the house without making a move. I wanted to more than anything, but I froze. I stuttered and damn near tripped down the stairs on the way to my car. No, I needed to kiss her, just once. If I bombed tonight I at least needed to have that one little thing. _

_I jumped out of my car and ran up to her front door. Just as I'm about to knock the door came flying open and there she was. She stood there, her house was dark behind her and her face was lit by the moon. She looked stunning in that moment. I reached forward and cupped her face with my hands. I tilted her head up and lightly brushed my lips against hers before pulling back. I would've been perfectly happy with that tiny moment, but she made it better. She made it perfect and the only first kiss I can remember. _

_She stood on her tiptoes and held onto the back of my head. Her lips touched mine again quickly followed by her tongue begging for entrance and that was it. That moment I knew she was it for me. No one would ever compare to this perfect little woman that just spent the entire night making me laugh and my palms sweat. The moment her lips touched mine I could see our life, our kids, and us rocking on the front porch telling our grandbabies the story of how we met. _

_**xXxXx**_

_"Fuck," I hit my steering wheel and dropped my head back. "I should've asked her." I was having a serious case of dejá vu. _

_We'd been dating a year and I'd had the ring for eight months, waiting. It had to be the perfect time. Then I realized it would never be the perfect time, I just had to ask. I'd never wanted anything as bad as I wanted to call Sookie Mrs. Eric Northman. _

_As I drove home I made a plan. I was already planning on making her dinner the next night and I'd ask her then. There would be candles, and champagne, and it would be perfect. _

_So there I was, I dressed a little fancier than normal in a light blue button down shirt, I left it untucked and I had on a pair of black slacks. I got so distracted I forgot to put shoes on by the time she arrived. She was wearing my favorite dress, a little white number with red flowers all over it. She had on a pair of red flip flops and her hair was down, being held back with a black headband. _

_"Sookie," I asked, my voice was definitely shaky. I'd made spaghetti - the only thing I could make. I pulled the box from my pocket and got down on one knee. My hands were shaking so bad I couldn't even open the box. _

_Her hands covered her mouth and tears started streaming down her face as I continued. "Sookie, my sweet girl. You're... you made me believe in love at first sight," I had a big long speech planned, but the second I saw her that plan went to shit. "You are..." at this point I couldn't talk because I was so overwhelmed with emotion and nerves I couldn't get anything out. "Marry me... please. Be my wife, my partner..."_

_"Yes!" she practically screamed and flung her arms around my neck. _

_**xXxXx**_

_Sookie didn't cry, I did. Throughout the ceremony, our vows and all of that amazing stuff I cried like a fucking baby. My wife laughed and wiped my tears away. Before this woman came along I'd never planned on getting married and settling down. She changed that. The second her lips touched mine that all changed and now there we were pledging our love and loyalty to one another in front of God and our families. _

_As we walked out of the church into a cool spring twilight my heart melted a little more. The fading light and the unwavering smile on her face did something to me. I thought I loved her before that moment and I can truly say I didn't know just how much. It was like we were frozen in time, the smile on her face and the way her eyes twinkled when she looked at me. I'll never forget that. _

"Here ya go," Sam sets a glass coke in front of me, pulling me from my memories.

"Thanks, man," I take a drink and Sam asks if I can remember the first meal Sookie made for me after we were married.

"Beef stew," I laugh. "It was terrible, the meat was tough and it was bland as hell." Sam laughs with me. "I ate three bowls. She knew it was horrible, she cried and said she was the worst wife ever." I finish, shaking my head.

"My Holly couldn't boil water," he laughs. "She was an expert at ordering take out though."

"Sookie's way better now. She gave up on beef stew though; she said she loves me too much to torture me like that."

"Have I ever shown you this?" He pulls a picture from under the counter. It's a very young Sam with a tiny blonde girl with huge Dolly Parton hair. I don't think I've ever seen Sam with a genuine smile. "That's my Holly, we were so young maybe a year after we married."

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?" I ask, I know she passed about fifteen years ago, but not sure how.

"Hmm," he closes his eyes for a moment. "Cancer, breast... she fought hard but in the end she just couldn't do it anymore."  
We go silent for a long time before he continues. "I tried to drown my sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. Five years, I spent five years drunker than shit and one day I saw a picture of her that tore my heart out all over again. She was sick with this glowing smile on her face. My honey didn't have one hair on her head, she'd lost a ton of weight and she still lit up a room. I know she was in an immense amount of pain, but she smiled through it for me. I knew in that moment I was losing her all over again every night, with every bottle I drained. I dumped it all and made one last vow to my wife. She was going to live on with me, I wasn't going to bury her anymore..."

"It's better to be drunk on her memory, her smile," I add quietly.

"Exactly," he nods and refills my soda.

"When we found out we were pregnant with Hunter Sookie was ecstatic. She wanted to find a fun way to tell her parents. We decided to tell them on Corbett's birthday so she bought him a license plate frame that says "My Grandkid is cuter than your Grandkid". When he opened it, Sookie watched him and I watched her. She is such a daddy's girl and she wanted him to be happy. Of course with her crazy hormones she started crying when his face lit up and I couldn't help but smile. The look of pure joy on my wife's face... indescribable."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did ya'll get in a fight over?"

"I don't even know now," I shrug and Sam laughs at me.

"Go home, Eric. Go to your wife and tell her you're sorry. If she cries, wipe her tears and remind her how much you love her. These moments are priceless. If I could be in the same room as my Holly again I'd be beyond happy. Don't waste the time you do have." Sound advice.

"Thanks Sam," I toss a twenty on the bar and wave as I walk to my car.

I try to think of a way to apologize to her the entire drive home. It's early enough that the grocery store is still open. I stop in really quick and get her a generic bouquet of daisies and some Russell Stover's assorted chocolates. If I had more time it would be way better, but it's late and I'm not the most creative guy around.

I walk into the house and find my wife sitting at the kitchen table. Her eyes are puffy and red. It breaks my heart to see that. Sookie and I have been through a lot of shit, but after tonight I know I can't take her for granted anymore. I just always assumed she'd be around. Life is unpredictable though.

"I'm so sorry!" I blurt, half yell at her.

I drop the flowers and candy. I race over to her and pull her up out of the chair into my arms. She holds on tight and I hear a whispered "Me too."

"Oh my beautiful girl, I love you so much," I tell her.

"I love you," she says back to me before she starts laughing. I give her a questioning look. "Our first kid free night in six months and we're fighting. How perfect."

"Oh you mean this wasn't just foreplay?" I wink and kiss her forehead.

I look down into her eyes with as much love and adoration as I can and brush her hair out of her face before whispering. "This is it, Sookie. This is the Good Stuff."

~End~

* * *

**That's all, I hope you liked it. **

The Good Stuff by Kenny Chesney

Well, me an' my lady had our first big fight,

So I drove around 'til I saw the neon light.

A corner bar, an it just seemed right.

So I pulled up.

Not a soul around but the old bar keep,

Down at the end an' looking half asleep.

An he walked up, an' said : "What'll it be?"

I said: "The good stuff."

He didn't reach around for the whiskey;

He didn't pour me a beer.

His blue eyes kinda went misty,

He said: "You can't find that here.

'Cause it's the first long kiss on a second date.

Momma's all worried when you get home late.

And droppin' the ring in the spaghetti plate,

'Cause your hands are shakin' so much.

An' it's the way that she looks with the rice in her hair.

n' eatin' burnt suppers, the whole first year,

An' askin' for seconds to keep her from tearin' up.

Yeah, man, that's the good stuff.

He grabbed a carton of milk an' her poured a glass.

An' I smiled an' said: "I'll have some of that."

We sat there an' talked as an hour passed,

Like old friends.

I saw a black an' white picture an' it caught my stare,

It was a pretty girl with bouffant hair.

He said: "That's my Bonnie,

"Taken 'bout a year after we were wed."

He said: "Spent five years in the bottle,

"When the cancer took her from me.

"But I've been sober three years now,

"'Cause the one thing stronger than the whiskey:

"Was the sight of her holdin' my baby girl.

"The way she adored that string of pearls,

"I gave her the day that our youngest boy, Earl,

"Married his high school love."

"An' it's a new tee-shirt saying: 'I'm a Grandpa'.

"Bein' right there as our time got small,

"An' holdin' her hand, when the Good Lord called her up,

"Yeah, man, that's the good stuff."

He said: "When you get home, she'll start to cry.

"When she says: 'I'm sorry,' say: 'So am I.'

"An' look into those eyes, so deep in love,

"An' drink it up.

"'Cause that's the good stuff.

"That's the good stuff.


End file.
